LAHORE: A Lahore High Court single bench on Thursday requested the chief justice to constitute a larger bench to hear petitions against “Azadi March” announced by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan.

Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan was hearing a petition moved by a citizen, Kamran, when a senior advocate, A.K Dogar, pointed out that a similar petition was also pending adjudication before another bench of the court.

He asked the judge to refer the matter to chief justice for formation of a larger bench. He was of the view that the petitions carried important legal questions that needed greater interpretation.

Additional Attorney General Naseer Ahmad Bhutta told the judge that the federal government would have no objection to constitution of a larger bench. Punjab Advocate General Hanif Khatana also gave consent on behalf of provincial government.

Justice Khan, therefore, sent the case to Chief Justice Khwaja Imtiaz Ahmad with a request to form a larger bench to further hear the matter.

The petitioner had pleaded that the march announced by the PTI against alleged rigging in 2013 general election would promote anarchy in country.

He said the PTI’s protest march would also damage democratic system in the country and invite anti-democratic forces to prevail. He asked the court to issue an order to the government to meet the demands of opposition parties through dialogue and stop the PTI march to protect the political system in the country.

challenged: A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court against ‘illegal’ impounding of motorbikes by police allegedly to curtail participation of people in Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s “Azadi March” on Aug 14.

PTI Lawyers Wing Vice-President Jawad Mobeen has filed the petition and stated that under the Constitution right to free movement is fundamental right of every citizen but police launched an operation against motorcyclists.

He alleges that the police are impounding motorbikes at the behest of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Advocate Mobeen states that at least 25,000 motorbikes have been impounded by the police in Lahore and other districts. He asks the court to declare impounding of motorbikes illegal and order the IGP to release the two-wheelers immediately.

Chief Justice Khwaja Imtiaz Ahmed would take up the petition on Friday (today).

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2014